Vegetable Oil vs. Palm Oil — Nutrition and Health Impact Comparison

Classification And Varieties

Vegetable oils are the fats extracted from fruits, usually their seeds. 

Technically, palm oil can also be classified as vegetable oil. However, the term “vegetable oil” is often used to describe oils that are liquid at room temperature. Palm oil, on the other hand, is semi-solid at room temperature.

There are dozens of varieties of vegetable oils, some of the most popular ones being sunflower, olive, peanut, safflower, rapeseed, corn, soybean, and cottonseed oils.

Edible oils can be divided into two groups - cooking oils and tropical oils. Cooking oils include vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn, and olive oils. Palm oil is considered to be a tropical oil, along with coconut oil.

Palm oil can come in three different types, depending on which part of the palm fruit it is extracted from. What we call palm oil is extracted from the palm fruit. Palm kernel oil is the oil produced from palm seed or stone. The palm kernel oil can be further processed to achieve fractionated palm kernel oil.

Appearance

Natural palm oil can have a red hue due to its level of beta-carotene pigment. However, palm oil loses beta-carotene after the refining process and becomes translucid yellow like vegetable oils.

As mentioned above, palm oil is semi-solid at room temperature, while vegetable oil is liquid.

Taste And Use

Edible oils are versatile and can be used as an ingredient in most culinary dishes. Both vegetable and palm oils can be used in cooking to add texture, flavor, and calories.

In addition to being used in the kitchen, palm oil is also used in the production of numerous cosmetics and hygiene products, as well as biofuel.

Of the vegetable oils, olive oil is also widely used in the production of cosmetics, while sunflower oil can be used to make biofuel.

Due to its solid texture, palm oil is sometimes used to substitute for butter in baking.

Macronutrients and Calories

Vegetable oil and palm oil both consist of nearly 100% fats, containing only fat-soluble vitamins E and K and negligible amounts of minerals.

One average serving size of oil is one tablespoon, equal to 13.6g.

Fats

Even though the macronutrient compositions of these two oils are very similar, the same cannot be said about their fat compositions. The more saturated fats oils contain, the more solid their texture is at room temperature (1). 

The main fat type found in palm oil is saturated fat, followed by monounsaturated fat. The fat in palm oil consists of 51% saturated fats, 39% monounsaturated fats, and only 10% polyunsaturated fats.

On the other hand, vegetable oil mainly consists of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The fat found in vegetable oil comprises 50% monounsaturated fat, 35% polyunsaturated fats, and only 15% saturated fat.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Vegetable oil

3

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 14.367 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 48.033 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 33.033 g

Palm oil

0

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 49.3 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 37 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 9.3 g

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat	-70.9%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat	+29.8%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+255.2%

Like all plant-based products, vegetable and palm oils do not contain cholesterol.

The predominant saturated fat found in both of these oils is palmitic acid, followed by stearic and myristic acid. Unlike vegetable oil, palm oil also contains lauric acid.

The polyunsaturated fat content in palm and vegetable oils consists of omega-6 fatty acids.

Vitamins

Edible oils are not very rich in vitamins. Vegetable oil and palm oils contain only two fat-soluble vitamins - vitamin E and vitamin K.

Palm oil is slightly higher in vitamin E; however, 100g of vegetable oil and palm oil would cover nearly 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamin E (2).

Vegetable oil is almost 3 times richer in vitamin K.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Vegetable oil

1

Palm oil

1

Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K

+162.5%

Contains more CholineCholine

+50%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin A ~0IU

~equal in Vitamin E ~15.94mg

~equal in Vitamin D ~µg

~equal in Vitamin B1 ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B2 ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B3 ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B5 ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B6 ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

~equal in Folate ~0µg

Minerals

Oils are not particularly high in minerals either, containing only very low amounts of zinc and iron.

Vegetable oil contains slightly more iron and zinc, while palm oil is a little richer in choline.

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index values of palm and vegetable oils are considered to be 0, as both do not contain carbohydrates.

Insulin Index

The insulin index of foods shows how much the given food increases blood insulin levels.

The insulin index of vegetable oil is calculated to be 3. In comparison, the insulin index of glucose is 100. Our “Glycemic Index vs. Insulin Index” provides detailed information about the two indices and compares them.

Acidity

Sunflower oil is more alkaline than palm oil. The pH values of neat palm oil have been calculated to be 6.34, while the pH of sunflower oil was 7.38 (3).

However, after domestic use by frying, the pH values of these oils change, becoming more acidic. The pH value of palm oil decreases to 5.73 or 6.19, while the pH of sunflower oil becomes 5.34 (3).

The potential renal acid load values of palm and vegetable oils are 0.

Cardiovascular Health

Section reviewed by cardiologist Astghik Grigoryan

When comparing vegetable oil and palm oil in terms of their impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, several factors come into play:

Saturated fat content: Palm oil is high in saturated fats, with around 50% of its fat content being saturated. A high intake of saturated fats has been associated with an increased risk of CVD, as it can raise LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels. Vegetable oils, on the other hand, typically contain lower levels of saturated fats, making them a better choice for heart health.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats: Vegetable oils are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have been shown to have beneficial effects on heart health. These fats can help lower LDL cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of CVD when used in moderation. Palm oil contains some monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats but is predominantly composed of saturated fats.

The American Health Association recommends replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, as they are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality. 

Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats lowers LDL or “bad” cholesterol and blood triglyceride levels, the main causes of atherosclerosis and heart disease (5).

Presence of trans fats: Palm oil naturally contains minimal trans fats, whereas some vegetable oils may undergo hydrogenation during processing, leading to the formation of trans fats. Trans fats have been strongly linked to an increased risk of CVD as they raise LDL cholesterol levels and lower HDL cholesterol levels.

In summary, vegetable oils, particularly those high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, are generally considered better for heart health compared to palm oil due to their lower saturated fat content and beneficial effects on blood lipids. However, it's essential to choose vegetable oils that are minimally processed and avoid those high in trans fats. Additionally, when selecting palm oil, opting for sustainably sourced products can help mitigate environmental impacts.

Cancer

High-fat diets may increase the risk of breast, colon, pancreas, and intestinal cancers. Polyunsaturated oils may also promote and stimulate cancer growth more effectively than saturated fats (6, 7). 

To fully understand the correlation between cancer and fat consumption, additional research is necessary as genetics, drug intake, possible measurement errors, and other factors affect the research results (8).